Laces
by the-littlest-pumpkin
Summary: Third in series. On another of Lima's rainy summer days, Brittany decides to take Santana on an outing, despite rain-theed protestations.


"It's raining"

"...I'm kind of aware." Santana stood under the cover of Brittany's porch; limbs spread wide, water dripping from them onto the decking, whilst Brittany sat smirking from her position under the window, her feet resting on the porch railing.

"You're soaked"

"Also aware, thanks, Britt. Ugh, I hate rain. Can I get a towel?" Brittany laughed as the brunette twisted her hair to wring out the water, grimacing, and ran into the house.

"I like the rain when it's like this" the blonde returned, shrugging

"How is that possible?" She grabbed the offered towel, hooking it round Brittany's neck to pull her into a long kiss

"Well it's really hot, but it's raining. So the rain isn't cold and the clouds don't make me sad and everywhere smells good. I like it." She shrugged, smiling, and perched on the steps of the porch, staring out at the rain

"I guess it could be worse. At least now it might be less humid, my hair may even shrink back to its normal size. So what do you wanna do today? Plans to go to the park have been kind of ruined, I can cope with cycling in the rain but that place will be a mudslide" Santana followed the blonde to the step, and rested her wet head against her shoulder, ignoring the whine of protest as Brittany grimaced

"I know. I was looking forward to stretching my legs now that my cast's off. This sucks." Santana watched her girlfriend's face fall into a small pout of disappointment

"Well we can do something else, Britts" She hurried "Don't be sad. What do you want to do? Anything in the world!"

"I have an idea, but it does mean taking a short ride" she raised her eyebrows suggestively and winked

"Why do I get the feeling that's not quite what you mean? Where to, do we have to? I'm already wet" She ignored the blonde's wide grin and wiggling eyebrows

"Exactly! You're wet already; a little more rain won't do any harm. Come on, San, pleeeease?" she fluttered her eyelashes at Santana, who looked unconvinced "Oh come on, I'm wearing white!" Santana looked down at the blonde's thin t-shirt, weighing up her options

"...fine. Okay, you win, let's go." Brittany giggled and clapped her hands, before jumping up to run and tell her parents where they were going. They grabbed their bikes and started to cycle "So where are we going, Britt?" she shouted over the sound of the rain.

"I'm not telling, it's a surprise! Just follow me and you'll see!" she overtook the brunette, and started to ride faster, heading out of their estate, and away from the town. She hated to admit it, but Brittany was right. The warm rain wasn't falling too heavily and the smell of the rain on the grass, combined with the fact that the town was practically deserted made the ride quite pleasant. Brittany sang Beauty and the Beast songs throughout the journey, probably because they watched it at their sleepover a few nights ago, and Santana couldn't help but laugh and join in, until Brittany pulled over at the side of the road they were on, dismounting and laying her bike on the grass verge. Santana did the same, confused, "Hey, what's up, Lumiere? Is it your leg?"

"Kind of. I can't remember the way. And my leg kinda hurts. Just give me a second" Santana waited patiently, taking in her surroundings. They were stood at a T-junction near Quinn's estate, the roads still mostly clear. They had been heading north, away from the town, and now Brittany seemed to be debating whether they'd taken the right turning somewhere along the line. Just as Santana began to grow impatient, she noticed the large puddle forming between them and the road.

"Hey, Britts, should we move? It's getting kind of flooded here"

"We'll be going again in like two minutes" the blonde replied distractedly, and Santana sighed. It was mere moments later when she noticed a car heading towards them, and serving violently before she had chance to take action. The car tyres hit the puddle, and water splashed high into the air, covering the two girls from head to toe. Brittany made the mistake of gasping, earning herself a mouthful of stagnant rainwater, whilst Santana screwed her face up, wincing. They both stood stunned for a moment, before a stream of angry curses and expletives issued from Santana's mouth. "Wasn't that Quinn's car?" Brittany frowned, wiping the rain from her eyes. Santana's eyes widened.

"Oh _hell_ no." The brunette pulled her phone from her pocket, huddling over it in a weak attempt to keep it dry

**Bitch. I hate u.**

**Couldn't resist. Love u too.**

**Hope u break down.**

"Okay. I think I remember the way, let's go" Brittany peeled her now mud-splattered t-shirt from her skin and picked up her bike. Santana immediately pulled a balled-up tissue from her pocket and wiped the blonde's seat, earning a small peck on the cheek.

After cycling in the direction they were already heading for about five minutes, Brittany took a left down a smaller pathway, and Santana immediately knew where they were heading. "Ta-da!" Brittany trilled as they dismounted under a large tree "It's the lake!"

"I can see that Britts" Santana laughed, "You're really sweet" She grabbed her girlfriend's hand, before turning to stare out at the scenery. She always loved visiting the beach, not that you could particularly call it that. The "sand" at the water's edge was compiled mostly of small rocks and grit, but it stretched around almost a quarter of the large lake, followed by an expanse of empty decking, with one fairly wide, but extremely long, jetty jutting out into the water. The rest of the lake's edge was inaccessible due to the trees, but no one could deny it was a stunning view in summer, and the rain didn't deter Santana's love of the scene. Her mind couldn't help but wander to the first time they rode their bikes down to the lake, to test out Santana's recently-healed broken ankle, and the parallels between the situations were not lost on the brunette.

-ooOoo-

At ten years old, the summer after 4th grade was first time they were allowed to visit the lake by themselves. It was a hot July day, and they had had it planned since the end of the school year. They had both been plenty of times with their parents, and often the two families went together, but this was special because it was their first time going alone, and to the girls, that meant they were practically grown ups. Santana grinned all the way from her house to Brittany's, her smile only growing when she saw that the blonde's expression mirrored her own. They cycled down to the lake and spent the morning paddling in the shallow waters – having promised their parents not to go in deeper than knee-height – and skimming stones into the lake. Santana had helped her mother to prepare a picnic lunch for the two girls, and Brittany had even saved enough of her pocket money to buy the girls an ice cream each. They ended up buying the same but in two different flavours, and they sat at the water's edge, swapping every few minutes when they got bored of the tastes. Later in the afternoon, they packed up their picnic, brushed the sand off their clothes and started to cycle home. Santana had cycled with Brittany to her door, receiving a kiss on the cheek from the blonde, before returning home with a grin even bigger than the one she had started the day with.

-ooOoo-

Santana grinned at the memory, and the blonde narrowed her eyes before smiling and kissing the shorter girl on the nose, before stepping behind the brunette. She took her girlfriend's hands and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her close. Santana smiled and blushed as her heart skipped, leaning her head back as she felt the taller girl press her body flush against her back, feeling the heat from the blonde radiating through their wet layers.

"Tell me the story" Brittany said in a low voice, before kissing the damp skin of the brunette's neck, and stepping back to lean against the large trunk, allowing the tree to take their combined weight. Santana grinned and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She had first told this story during the summer after 7th grade, and Santana smiled to herself as she remembered that particular visit, twisting to give the taller girl a sweet kiss before staring out at the lake once again and beginning her frequently-told story.

-ooOoo-

They were 13-years-old, it was almost 8pm, and she had just finished eating dinner with her parents after spending the day with Brittany when the phone started to trill in the hall. Her father answered before calling Santana from the kitchen "It's Brittany, she doesn't sound too good". Santana frowned and took the phone quickly.

"Hey, what is it, are you okay?"

"Could you come over? It's my aunt."

Brittany definitely wasn't in the chirpy mood she had left her in, so Santana immediately rushed to the kitchen to inform her parents that she was going to Brittany's and wouldn't be back late, before running out and leaping onto her bike, pedalling furiously to get to Brittany's house. When she arrived, the girl wasn't in her usual place, waiting for Santana on the porch steps, but instead was sat cross-legged on the lawn, her knees pulled up and leaning against the insides of her elbows, and she was facing away from Santana. "Hey, what's up?" She dismounted and asked the blonde, who turned her head upon hearing the brunette arrive, and Santana could see tear tracks down the other girl's face. She ran over, kneeling behind her and placing her arms around the girl's defeated shoulders. She looked so broken, and the brunette chewed her lip whilst waiting for an answer.

"It's my Aunt Georgia. She died this afternoon." Santana knew that Mr Peirce was an only child, and Mrs Peirce was the youngest of a large family.

"That's your Mom's oldest sister? What happened to her?"

"A heart-attack, they think. I really liked her"

"I know you did, sweetie. Okay, give me, like, five minutes and I'll be back." She gave the blonde another tight hug, kissing her on the cheek before she rose to her feet and ran into the house. She found the Peirces sat at the kitchen table, talking in low voices

"Hi, I'm really but, uh, I was wondering if I could take Brittany out for a little while? We'll be back before curfew I promise."

"Yeah, sure, that's fine" Mr Peirce replied, "We're really glad you're here. She's taking the news really hard, you'll cheer her up"

"I hope so. Thank you, I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs Peirce" The older woman smiled through her tears and Santana left quietly. She returned to Brittany's side within two minutes, and pulled the girl to her feet. "Come on, get your bike, I need to take you somewhere" she stood in front of the blonde, holding her hands and looking into her blue watery eyes

"I don't feel like it, Sanny." Brittany looked down, chewing her lip and pouting slightly, with a look that broke Santana's heart

"Please? For me?" she angled her head to catch the blonde's eyes, smiling softly, "I promise it won't take long to get there and it'll be worth it" the taller girl agreed and they grabbed their bikes, Santana taking the lead on the familiar journey to the lake. The sun was setting as they rode, Santana keeping a close eye on the blonde, slowing at one point to pull over and give the teary girl a hug. She glanced over her shoulder on arrival, noting the blonde's small smile, content that she had made her best friend feel even a tiny bit better. They abandoned their bikes on the grass verge, and Santana immediately started to lead the blonde down to the sand. Despite her efforts, she couldn't contain her grin when she felt the taller girl slip her hand into her own and mumble "Thank you, San" in a low voice.

"No problem, Britts. Come on"

They walked along the beach and took the steps up to the large decking, "San, isn't this dangerous?"

"Don't worry, Britts, we'll only stay while it's light enough to see. I promise I won't ever let anything happen to you." She squeezed the blonde's hand and led her out to the end of the jetty, before sitting down and patting the space next to her. Brittany followed suit, and immediately linked her arm in Santana's. The brunette immediately rested her head on Brittany's shoulder, and like second nature, the blonde tilted her cheek down onto the shorter girls head, inhaling the scent as she did so. "Do you want to talk about i?"

"I don't know what to say. I miss her already, is that stupid?"

"No, of course not. Of course it's not stupid." Santana could feel the blonde's frown, and moved her free hand to the girl's leg, drawing calming patterns and following the pattern on her shorts.

"Like, I don't know, I've never known anyone who died. I don't understand"

"Me neither, Britts"

"I want her back, Sanny. She was so nice" Brittany broke into tears and Santana immediately pulled back to kneel next to the girl, her own eyes stinging with sympathy and pain for seeing her best friend so distraught. She wrapped her arms around Brittany's shoulders, and felt the girl's arms wrap around her waist, squeezing tight. She cradled the blonde head against her shoulder, stroking her hair and whispering to her. The only sounds were of the girl's snivelling, Santana's consolations, and the waves lapping at the supports of the small pier, and they stayed like that for a long while. When the brunette heard the girl's sobs start to subside into heavy breathing, she sat back down next to her, turning Brittany onto her back, and pulling her head down onto her lap, wiping the tears in the process.

"Can I ask a question, San?" Brittany looked up at her with her bright blue, if slightly wet, eyes and Santana felt her heart lurch in her chest as she saw the endless stars reflected in them, and gulped back tears of her own. Wow, when did she get so soppy? Momentarily speechless, she corrected herself before answering

"Of course"

"Why do such bad things happen to the nicest people?"

"Wow, Britt. Uh, that's a tough one." She ran a hand through her hair and frowned, staring up at the night sky, "I guess...sometimes things like that can't be controlled. Like, sometimes bad things just happen..." she trailed off and looked back down at the blonde, biting her lip

"So, it didn't happen because she was mean to somebody? Like, she wasn't secretly a bad person or something?" Santana saw the worry etched in the girl's vulnerable expression, and found herself stunned by the fact that she was so lucky to have such a purely innocent soul for her best friend.

"No, Britts. It's not like that. It's nothing to do with how nice she was, and how much love she gave" she cradled the girls face, wishing she could give a better explanation to the girl who was so desperately seeking answers

"But then I don't understand. Everyone says that if you do bad things, you get punished, bad things happen to you. But if she didn't do anything bad then why did something so bad happen to her? Did I do something bad, is it me being punished instead?" Tears began to form in the girl's eyes again and Santana leaned down to press her lips to the girl's forehead, wiping her own tears in the process

"No. Of course not. " She replied, her lips still pressed against the blonde's skin, before sitting up again and sighing, a deep frown on her face, "sometimes really bad things just happen. It doesn't mean that they've done something bad. Sometimes, heart attacks are just from loving too much. Like your aunt. She just loved everyone, and everything. And she was a good person. And everyone will remember her as a good person, and when you get used to her not being around, you'll remember how nice she was, and how much fun you had, and thinking of her will make you happy."

"So...she was just too nice. Heart attack's are from loving too much. Her heart couldn't hold all the love she had for everything. Okay" she fell quiet and turned her head to look out at the lake, her features arranged into a much more peaceful expression. Santana couldn't help but watch her best friend as she stroked her hair, and remind herself again that she was blessed.

It was almost an hour later by the time Brittany sat up next to Santana, before slipping off her socks and shoes and dipping her toe into the water. "Come on, San. It's not that cold" she gave a small smile as she dipped her foot in, immediately retracting it with a gasp, and attempting to cover up her reaction to the freezing cold water.

"No way, it's freezing. I saw that! No, I'd like to keep my toes"

"Come on!" Brittany had both feet in by now, and was getting used to the temperature, reaching a hand down into the water to flick some at Santana's face, "for me? Please?" she gazed at the girl with wide eyes and a hurt expression

"Fine okay! But if I lose toes to hypothermia, you're donating yours." She slipped off her shoes and socks, and rolled up the bottom of her jeans, before dropping her feet into the water with a splash, immediately regretting it and letting out a small scream "-"

"San you're not making sense." Brittany laughed as Santana puffed out a few deep breaths and clenched her teeth.

"Agh. So cold"

"You're a baby" she leaned over slightly to bump Santana with her shoulder, and Santana immediately bumped back before resting her head on the taller girl's shoulder. "Thank you, San. I love you"

"Don't be silly, it's nothing. I love you too. A lot." The brunette blushed and bit her lip, glad that the other girl couldn't see her reaction. They fell into a comfortable silence once again, and Santana took in the incredible view. There was an island in the middle of the lake, almost half the width of the water, and all that was visible from the shore was the large cluster of trees and a small boathouse with a landing jetty. On a clear day, and in daylight, you could see the path up to a large house of white brick, which currently shone in the moonlight, but it was mostly hidden by the thick greenery. Santana had always wondered who lived there, what the house looked like up close, and if there was a garden, or if the island _was_ their garden. She knew the owner travelled to the island via a small speedboat, and at the start of every summer she had vowed to hire a rowing boat at the small shack and row out to the island to take a look, although it was probably private property. She still hadn't gotten round to it though.

"San?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"I love you"

"I know. I love you too."

"Tell me a story. A story about us"

"Hmm...okay...gimme a second." She frowned out at the lake, "Ok, Britts. One day, way, way in the future...after Middles School, and High School and even college. One day, we're going to live on that island. We'll get awesome jobs and save up and get really rich, and we'll buy the house and the grounds, and a speedboat and some little jet skis and a rowing boat. And we'll make it our home. And we'll live in the giant house, where we'll have two staircases, but we'll turn one into a slide for getting downstairs." Brittany grinned at her, "And we'll have a big empty dining room with a really shiny floor, and we'll spend days and days sliding around in our socks. And we'll have a ton of bedrooms, like, eighteen! And some will be themed, so it feels like you're underwater, or in space."

"That sounds awesome" the blonde laughed

"And one bedroom will just be filled with pillows and cushions and mattresses and covers and blankets and we'll turn it into a giant bedding fort! That we can rearrange every weekend if we want, and have sleepovers in. Lord Tubbington can have a cat-themed room, and his own butler. And we'll hire the chef from Breadstix to be our personal cook and eat like Kings! And when its dark, we'll go down to the boathouse, and sit on our little jetty. And we'll look out at the lake, and the shore, and up at the stars, and I'll tell you I love you. And I'll tell you stories about when we're old, and we live in a little cottage over a bridge by a river, where we sit and look at the stars, and where I tell you I love you."

"I like the sound of that." Brittany turned her gaze to Santana, feeling the butterflies in her stomach, causing a blush to creep up into her face. Santana noticed the blonde's intense stare, and placed a hand on her cheek

"I know right? Going home tonight is gonna suck. Um, Brittany? I need to tell you something, and I guess it's kind of a big deal. So I just, just please don't get mad or freak out, okay?"

"Okay..." the blonde chewed her lip, her brow creased in a worried frown

"It's just that...I used to have all these feelings...And like, now I don't really...have them anymore. I don't know what happened they just sort of...faded away."

"What do you mean?" the blonde placed her hand on the brunette's neck and pulled her close, her eyes searching the other girl's face as she rested their foreheads together, and Santana swallowed hard

"It's just," she whispered, "I just can't feel...my feet."

"Oh my God, Santana!" the blonde slapped her best friend's shoulder and Santana cackled "You had me really worried, I thought something was wrong!"

"Awh, I'm so sorry but it was totally worth it to see your face! Ok, I _am_ sorry, but my feet are _really _cold so I need to get them out of this water!" she pulled her feet up onto the edge of the jetty and placed her hands over them in an attempt to warm them, and Brittany did the same

"I'll forgive you, but only coz I was starting to think the same. Oh no, Santana! We didn't bring a towel, and our feet are too wet to put our shoes back on"

"Ohhh shit! Damn, you're right. Ummm...okay well here" She pulled her arms out of her hoody and lifted it over her head

"No, you can't it'll get all dirty"

"It's fine, I'll just put it straight in the washer when I get back" They both dried their feet and pulled their socks and shoes back on before standing and walking back along the jetty. Santana laughed to herself, and Brittany raised an eyebrow questioningly. "It's just that, I just can't believe you fell for that!" She burst out laughing once again and Brittany narrowed her eyes dangerously. The brunette looked chastised and looked down at her feet, before jogging down the steps, tugging her best friend down onto the sand by the arm, "God, you're so slow!" she called over her shoulder, letting go of the blonde and breaking into a run

"Am not!" Brittany shouted, chasing after the girl. Santana zig-zagged across the sand, giggling furiously until she felt two strong arms wrap around her thighs and pull her to the ground, laying her body along Santana's and placing her lips close to Santana's ear "Yeah, who's slow now? I'll give you a clue, it's you!" she slid her hands down Santana's back, before digging her fingers into her ribs, and the brunette squirmed

"Noooo, no tickling! Brittany" Stop. Now." She grabbed the girl's hands to restrain her, and rolled over under the blonde, "You might be fast but you're cruel." The blonde leaned down and nudged Santana's nose with her own, and the brunette dropped her head down onto the sand, grinning up at Brittany.

The blonde noticed that darkness had settled a while ago, and the only light came from the large, bright moon. She imagined what it would be like to kiss Santana, her best friend. They'd both kissed boys before, once. She didn't like it. It was boring and over-rated and they were sloppy. She'd rather spend her evenings riding her bike to Santana's than trying to get a boyfriend like the other girls they knew. She imagined kissing Santana would be different, if a little odd. Instead she tilted her head, and started to lean down to kiss the girl on the cheek.

Very little was visible in the moonlight, but Santana could feel the blonde's eyes on her from her position on the stand. She was all too aware of the girl above her, laid with the moonlight practically illuminating her, blonde hair glowing in the darkness. She wondered what would happen if she simply leaned up and kissed Brittany. She'd kissed boys a few times before, obviously. But never a girl. She'd never wanted to. But the fluttering in her chest when she was the subject of Brittany's attention told her otherwise. Just as the thought entered her mind, she gauged the girl starting to lean in. Oh God, was Brittany going to kiss her? Of course, she'd thought about it but didn't expect it. Oh God, this could change everything. Ok, prepare. First kiss with Brittany. The blonde still seemed far away, maybe she should lean up too. Oh God, what was happening? She lifted her head to meet the blonde's lips as Brittany's head turned, placing the kiss on Santana's cheek, and Santana turned her head a tiny fraction, hoping the blonde wouldn't notice, and placed a gentle kiss on the pale skin of the blonde's cheek. Well, thank God for that. It would be weird if Brittany had really kissed her. Properly. On the lips. Really weird. Just wrong.

"I'm getting cold, let's go" The blonde stood and pulled Santana to her feet, and they set off back toward their bikes

"Do you want my hoody?" she held it out to the blonde "It's only a little wet on the hood" Brittany took it and wrestled it over her head, grinning at the shorter girl when she flipped the hood of the back of the blonde's head.

-ooOoo-

Santana was dragged back to reality by Brittany kissing down her neck "Thank you. I love that story. Especially now that I can do this." She spun the brunette round to face her, sliding her hands down to rest at the small of her back. "Actually, I won't. I want to kiss you, but I refuse."

"Why?" Santana frowned, narrowing her eyes in confusion

"Because you know...the warm weather, the beach, the lake, the rain, the clingy shirts...it's kind of very incredibly cheesy." She dragged out the last words, wincing apologetically

"Yeah I'd probably vom right in your mouth"

"Sexy. So sex-" She was cut off swiftly by Santana reaching a hand up behind her neck and dragging her lips down onto her own. She thought of how desperately she had wanted to kiss her four years ago as they lay in the sand, and made sure to drink in every last detail of the kiss. That slightly chapped section of Brittany's top lip. The blonde's thumb tracing a line down her spine. The way her lips tasted slightly salty from the tears. The soft blonde hair against her fingertips, on the back of Brittany's neck. Her chest pressed up against her own, so tightly that she could feel both of the girl's hearts beating furiously. She though again of how lucky she was to have this girl in her life and how lucky she was to play such a huge part in Brittany's life, and smiled. She could feel Brittany smiling in reaction, and when they broke apart she rested her forehead against the brunette's.

"Let's go home" The blonde whispered

"One more thing first." She leaned down and pulled off her socks and shoes and rolling up her trouser legs, before untying Brittany's laces. When they were both barefoot, she grabbed the blonde's hand and started to run. Brittany could feel the warm rain hitting her shoulders, and the grass between her toes as she rang. Santana's hand clung to her own, wrenching her arm from her socket, and she sped up to overtake the brunette, turning and pulling the girl against her body to kiss her again, before jumping down on the sand and into the shallow waters.

Both girls screamed as they made contact with the waves and Santana immediately ran back up onto the sand "This was my worst idea ever!"

"Come on, it's not even that cold! We've been in when it was colder!"

"No way, it's too cold"

"If you don't get back in. I will drag you." Brittany stared to wade out of the water toward Santana

"No, no. No don't you dare" the brunette backed away but Brittany broke into a run, grabbing the shorter girl and hoisting her over her shoulder. She ignored Santana's screams of protest and flipped the girl off her shoulder, attempting to drop her into the water. Santana gripped her hands around Brittany's neck as she fell, pulling the girl down with her, and they both landed in the water with a splash.

"See. Not that cold" Brittany placed her hand under Santana's ear, stroking her thumb across the girl's cheek, she leaned in and Santana nudged her nose against Brittany's in a soft Eskimo kiss, and the blonde's breath caught in her chest. She leaned in and nipped the brunette's bottom lip between her teeth, laughing when the girl's nose wrinkled in protest, and pulled back to give the girl a proper kiss. Santana curled her fingers under the soaking hem of Brittany's t-shirt, and slid one hand up the girl's back before dragging her fingernails down her skin. Brittany owered herself to lay between Santana's legs, and the brunette immediately brought her legs up to curl around the blonde's waist.

"No seriously, Britts" she pulled back "I love you but it's cold. Really cold. Can we please just get out of here, ride home, we can snuggle up in bed, with Lord Tubbs if we have to, and watch every single Disney Pixar film we own?"

"Okay fine! But only because I love you so much." They both stood and started to head back up to the bikes "Oh, we didn't bring a towel. Again. Why do we do this every time?"

"I don't even have any extra clothing, or dry clothing for that matter, to use" they picked up their shoes, staring at them with frowns.

"Well ok, how about this?" The blonde reached over and tied Santana's laces together, before handing them back and doing the same. She hung both pairs of shoes around her neck and grinned at the brunette, grabbing her bike, "Let's go!" Santana laughed and took one pair from the blonde, hanging them around her own neck, and swinging one leg over her bike, and they headed back home.


End file.
